An Immortal Descent (25 page)

As was I, but the issue had gone past Sean into something else altogether. Silence settled around us while I debated what to do next.

The only difference...
That small, incomplete statement had spoken volumes. Henry was purposefully holding something back—something big that I needed to know. Yet at the moment, there seemed a better chance of extracting a tooth than the truth, and I saw but one way to get any sort of answer from him.

I placed my hands on the tub’s edge. “Close your eyes.”

He looked at me for a long moment. “Do you intend to run away? If so, I’ll save you the trouble and go myself.” He began to push away from the wall.

“I’m not leaving yet. And neither are you.”

This got his attention. “Very well.” Leaning back against the wall, he closed his eyes.

Milky water sluiced over me as I stood and climbed from the tub. Shallow puddles formed on the flagstones around my feet. Henry tilted his chin up at my approach, and though his eyes remained shut, he tracked each step with a startling awareness.

Self-conscious, I drew my arms together to help hide my nakedness. “No peeking.”

He smiled, much like a wolf. “I wouldn’t dare.”

A gentle touch to his forearm was all it took for him to relinquish the towel. Shaking out the cloth, I wrapped it around myself, tucking in the ends to keep it in place. Then I stepped even closer and slid both arms around him.

He responded at once, opening his eyes as he ran his hands up my bare arms to my shoulders. Heat burned in my skin from his touch.

“Does this mean we’re done arguing?”

I nodded, temporarily incapable of speech.

“Good.” His deep voice vibrated through me, a sudden strike to the flint deep in my core. Flames blazed to life, and I shivered from the heat.

His hands moved to my back, pressed me even closer. “I love you,” he breathed. Dipping his head, he touched his lips to mine, tentative and featherlight as though he were holding back.

My mind grew fuzzy, and without warning, desire pooled like warm honey in my stomach. I needed more of him, to have him fill every crevice and space with his being. Fire coursed to the surface, and a small moan escaped me as it flowed unhindered into Henry.

He crushed me to him, an iron hand on my back as the other moved up to cup my head. His mouth turned hard, demanding more, and I whimpered into his lips when his desire rushed back, a raging river so intense it saturated my senses. A darker, deeper current stole my breath.

The flames leapt higher, desperate for air. Fire rushed from every pore to lap over my skin where it met a wildness I’d never felt before, never dreamt possible in a human.

The gentleman in Henry had always kept a tight leash on his less civilized side. Now the two were at war. His savagery spiraled red and black, filling my lungs, coursing through my veins. Primitive and fierce, it nearly consumed me.

Chapter Fifteen

A Battle of Wills

Henry alone existed. The bathing chamber disappeared, taking with it every thought of a world beyond his arms. There was only passion and love, war and hunger, as each breath drew the battleground deeper inside me.

Heat seared through my body, and the next thing I knew his shirt was free of his breeches and his light brown hair fell unbound to the shoulder. I threaded my fingers through the silken strands, overwhelmed by the feel of him.

“I want you,” he murmured, “more than life, more than anything in this world.” Deepening the kiss, he stole any remaining shreds of reason. My legs turned to liquid fire, and I clung to him, incapable of supporting my own weight. His hand tightened on my back, pulling me even closer.

Without thinking, I moved against him, and the towel loosened around me.

Breaking the kiss, his ragged breath scorched my lips. “Keep still,” he commanded.

I whimpered in protest. “Please, Henry...” I arched upward, loosening the towel a bit more.

He responded with a pained groan. “Stop moving, or I’m going to take you right here.” His arms shook as he struggled to keep hold of what felt like the very last vestige of self-control.

Power filled me. I felt alive and entirely out of control. It was going to happen, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it.

Gentleman...barbarian
. I spoke to them both. “Then take me.”

Henry went still. I waited, not sure what to do next when slowly, he moved us a half circle, pinning me to the wall with his weight. I gripped his shoulders, digging my fingers into the hard muscle. His heartbeat thrummed against my chest, matching my own. Desire lit his eyes to emeralds.

“Not here,” he rasped. “Not now.” Strong hands ran up my arms.

I shivered.
Why not?

He took hold of my wrists and gently pried my grip free. “Get dressed,” he bit out, lowering my arms to my side.

My body refused to obey. “I don’t want to.” I reached for him, but he turned away, putting his back to me. His hands were clenched to fists.

“Wait—”

A hard breath scraped from his throat as he rolled his powerful shoulders. Then he stalked from the room. The door shut, and I slumped against the wall, the towel lying in a heap at my feet.

* * *

A large bed took up the majority of the rustic room that Seamus had procured for Ailish and me on the second floor. Rough carved bedposts poked up at each corner to house what turned out to be a rather lumpy mattress. At the head of the bed, I leaned back against an overstuffed pillow, my bare toes tucked into the folds of a fresh woolen gown retrieved from my saddlebags. I sipped from a small porcelain teacup, all the while wishing to swap the steamy liquid for something chilled. At the moment straight ice would have been preferred to help counter the residual effects from the bathing chamber.

Henry had steered a wide arc around the bed, opting to sit in the armchair near the hearth, where he stared at me with the watchfulness of a tiger—a very hungry tiger that had been deprived of food for far too long.

To be sure, I wanted very much to be that food. Curled up against the pillow, my body ached for him. Every part of me wanted to be his in every possible way. Having him so close, watching me like a sharp-eyed predator...it was all I could do not to jump off the bed and go to him. Tight lines etched his handsome face, and it took no effort to discern his thoughts. I swallowed back a whimper and focused on my tea instead.

We needed to talk, except that I had no idea where to even begin. No doubt he would readily admit to frustrated desire as evidenced by the splotches of color that still stained his cheeks. But what about the wildness I’d felt raging inside of him? Was this the
difference
he’d alluded to earlier? If so, he had seriously misspoken when using the term “only” to describe it. Much like saying the king was only part of the monarchy. Or a tiger was only a cat.

For the life of me, I couldn’t recall ever feeling anything so powerfully savage before. At least never in another human being. The one vague similarity came from the time I’d healed a bull’s broken leg. The process had nearly gotten me gored, and though it had ended well for all involved, I’d been shaken by the creature’s primal aggression.

As for Henry, from our very first kiss I’d sensed a certain degree of wildness in him, just safely subdued beneath the gentleman. But today was so much more—almost like he had experienced an awakening of sorts.

What could it be?

One possibility was residual stress from the swordfight. Seven to one would get anyone’s blood pumping, and for the vast majority of men, the uneven odds would have pushed their instincts to basic survival. The theory seemed plausible, until I factored in Henry’s cavalier smile and flippant remarks about never being in danger.

If not leftover stress, then what?

What else could explain the intense savagery I felt swirling around alongside the civilized man? And even more worrisome, why hadn’t I been frightened to the point of cowering? Or frightened a little bit, for that matter? If anything, this darker, more primitive side of Henry had served as tinder to my already heated passion, turning me quite literally into a wild thing. If Henry hadn’t found the will to stop, our final destination would have been straight to the floor, without a scrap of cloth between us.

And that wasn’t the worst of it. I pressed a surreptitious fist to my chest over a small burning sensation lodged just beneath the sternum. After Henry had broken the kiss, a part of the whirling chaos had stayed behind. It reminded me of a piece of hot coal, closely banked for the time being, though one small breath would bring it roaring back to life. And once the sparks started flying, I held no delusions of being saved by some maidenly will that would steer me clear of trouble. Any will I had at the moment would run the shortest path to the strongest currents and deepest waters. In order to behave, physical contact had to be limited. Perhaps even discontinued altogether, or it would be the bathing chamber all over again—

“I want us to be married.” The abruptness of Henry’s deep voice brought me back to the present.

Still, it took several seconds for his meaning to fully register. “So do I, once we’re done in Wexford.”

“No, Selah. I want us married by tonight.”

My mouth fell open, and I stared at him in disbelief. “Tonight?” I managed.

“I can have a magistrate here within the hour.”

An hour!
Was he mad? “Try to be serious. We’ve no time for that, as you well know.”

“Upon my soul, I’ve never been more so.”

One look at his face, and I knew he spoke true. “Oh, Henry,” I sighed. “If I had my way, we’d be wed this very moment. But we can’t. Not today.”

Leaning forward, he propped an elbow on his knee. “Do you love me, Selah?”

“How can you ask such a question? Of course I love you.” I pressed a hand above my left breast. “My heart belongs to you. It beats in your chest as much as my own.”

He returned the gesture. “As does mine, which is why we should marry tonight.”

Yes, we should...
”No.”

“Tomorrow then.”

My expression turned incredulous at his persistence. “In case you’ve forgotten, we came to Ireland for reasons other than a honeymoon.” A twinge of guilt poked at my ribs from the time we had already wasted. “How can you be sure Deri and Nora aren’t hiding somewhere in Wexford?”

“Because I’ve spent two days searching and have guaranteed a large reward for any word of their whereabouts. I promise, as of this afternoon, no one has seen hide nor hair of them.”

“I see.” Lips pressed together, I returned the teacup to the tray beside me.

“It’s also how I became acquainted with your brother,” Henry continued. “He heard me asking around for you and demanded to know my interest. Needless to say, he took the news of our betrothal poorly.”

“So it would seem.”

“Which is one of the reasons I want to marry tonight. I am fed up with being told that we are ill suited. The king, my father, your brother, everyone has an opinion.”

I was equally tired of all the opinions, but that didn’t mean we could abandon our other responsibilities. “Not while Nora is in danger. I can’t even think of anything else until we’ve gotten her away from Deri.” Not to mention the possibility of a witch.

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. “We can start this afternoon by visiting some of the cottages in the outlying areas to get a better sense of the land. But come dark, we will have nothing to do other than worry ourselves sick. I would like to use that time to make you my wife, and to stop those like Sean from saying otherwise.”

A smile threatened at the corners of my mouth. “So regardless of the awful circumstances, you wish to rush our vows in order to spite my brother?” The idea had merit, though it would probably lead to another sword fight.

Henry leaned back in the chair and studied me for a moment. “Sean is vehemently opposed to our union. How do I know that he won’t use the confusion of the next few days to whisk you away from me? As an unmarried woman, your brother has every right to claim guardianship.”

“He wouldn’t dare.” I would kill him first. Or knock him senseless at the very least.

“What if you’re mistaken? I would have little recourse unless we were married. Only then would my claim come first.”

I sniffed. “You make me sound like a piece of baggage.”

“It’s a matter of the law, Selah, as you well know.”

He had a point, though I despised it all the same. “And that is your argument? We must wed right away or risk Sean’s interference?”

“His interference could cost him his life.”

From what I’d felt earlier, I knew Henry was telling the truth. Still, I couldn’t let the comment go unattended. “How romantic. ‘Marry me or I may have to kill your brother.’”

“That is only part of it.”

“Pray tell, what is the other part?”

His stare seemed to grow a thousand times more intense, until the predator gleamed anew in his eyes. My heart thumped in response, a small breath that gave life to a shower of sparks.

“It took every ounce of self-control not to take you in the bathing chamber this afternoon. The next time, I will not be able to hold back.”

I swallowed hard.
The next time...
”Then I shall avoid baths while we are here.”

“Dammit, Selah!” He shot out of the chair and stalked toward me. “Do you not understand a word I’m saying? We are to be married tonight or so help me God, I’ll not answer for my actions.”

My eyes widened with alarm. “You would never...”

“No, I would never force you.” He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned so close our foreheads nearly touched. “But I wouldn’t have to, would I?” His green eyes burned as he tucked a thick lock of dark hair behind my ear. He then traced a slow line to my jaw where he gently cupped my chin. “I need only kiss you again, and you would come to me willingly.”

A shaky breath poured from me.

“Isn’t that true?” He moved even closer until his lips hovered just above mine.

I nodded like a shameless hussy.

“And so you will marry me.”

“Not tonight.” My voice came as a whisper.

“Tomorrow then.” The two words brokered no question.

He still held my chin, and I felt myself yielding to his touch. I nudged closer, desperate for the softness of his lips.

He pulled back a fraction of an inch. “Tomorrow,” he repeated.

“Yes,” I whimpered.

Brigid’s fire rushed forward, as though beckoned by the wildness Henry had left behind. The moment they converged, my whole body trembled as the sparks burst to flames inside me. Heat blurred my vision, muddled any chance of rational thought. I needed him. Right now. Regardless of the consequences.

I leaned forward to kiss him, prepared to finish what had been started downstairs. Our lips brushed, a mere shadow of touch, and I shivered with anticipation for the moment his mouth would claim mine.

Henry edged back again. I started to follow when he released my chin. Then he was on his feet, breath constrained as he towered over me. “Very well, Selah. I shall wait until tomorrow.” He returned to the chair to scoop up his belongings from the floor. “Be ready to ride at half past.” With coat and waistcoat tossed over one arm, he gripped his hat and stormed from the room.

The bang of the door shook in my ears, and I blinked several times at the large wooden expanse. Disappointment cooled the fire while my mind fumbled over what had just happened. Each action came back, each word we had spoken.

Tomorrow...

My mouth popped open. Had I really meant to capitulate so easily?

I must have, for despite everything else, I didn’t regret my decision. We would search for Nora and Deri while even a speck of daylight remained in the sky, but Henry was right about our needing to return each night. Why not get married and put everyone’s interference to rest? That way we could stop fighting our natural urges to be together. And neither of us would have to kill my brother. Really, I couldn’t think of a better outcome.

Pushing from the bed, I moved to the hearth where I hung my head and started finger combing the many tangles. The heat infused the thick locks, warmed my scalp till it tingled.

Sharp knocks sounded on the door. “Come in,” I called.

The latch clicked open, and I tilted my head to the side. Lead filled my spine from the unfortunate discovery of fair skin and dark curly hair, much like my own, except shorter.

“Hello, Sabie,” Sean said, in a solemn voice that was much lower than I remembered.

I stared at him for a few seconds before dropping my head back toward the fire. “I told you not to call me that. Now get out.”

He stepped closer. “Please, sister, we need to talk.”

“You’ve no right to call me that either. My brother died three years ago in the West Indies. You, sir, are a stranger to me.” Anger heated my blood, and the fire suddenly felt stifling. I stood, avoiding any form of eye contact as I marched over to the dressing table for my hairbrush.